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Je bois seulement de l'eau.

Je bois seulement de l'eau.
I only drink water.
FromLesson 15inHardcore French

Breakdown of Je bois seulement de l'eau.

je
I
l'eau
the water
boire
to drink
de l'
some
seulement
only

Questions & Answers about Je bois seulement de l'eau.

What does the verb bois mean in this sentence and how is it conjugated?
In Je bois seulement de l'eau, bois is the first person singular present form of the verb boire (to drink). This conjugation indicates that the subject Je (I) is performing the action, so bois translates to I drink.
What is the function of the adverb seulement in the sentence?
The adverb seulement means only or just. It qualifies the noun phrase de l'eau by emphasizing that the speaker drinks nothing but water. In other words, it limits the statement to water as the sole beverage.
Why is the phrase de l'eau used instead of simply l'eau?
In French, when referring to mass or uncountable nouns like water, a partitive article is required to indicate an unspecified quantity. De l'eau serves as the appropriate partitive form here. Using just l'eau would imply a specific, defined amount of water, which isn’t typical when talking about drinking water in general.
How does the contraction in de l'eau work, and why is it necessary?
The contraction de l'eau is necessary because the partitive article de le (used before masculine singular nouns) must contract to de l' when the noun begins with a vowel. This change ensures smooth pronunciation. Since eau starts with a vowel, de le eau becomes de l'eau.
Is there an alternative way to express the idea of drinking only water in French?
Yes, an equivalent expression is Je ne bois que de l'eau. This construction uses the negation pair ne...que to limit the statement to water, effectively meaning I only drink water. Both forms are correct, though the structure and emphasis may feel slightly different to native speakers.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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